Toyota aims for Prius to become top-seller in U.S. by 2020

Toyota expects the Prius hybrid, above, and related models bearing the same name to become its top-selling U.S. vehicle line by the end of the decade.

Toyota expects the Prius hybrid and related models bearing the same name to become its top-selling U.S. vehicle line by the end of the decade. “We will end the decade with Prius being the number one nameplate in the industry,” Bob Carter, Toyota's group vice president for U.S. sales, said in a call with analysts on Monday. The Camry, Toyota's top-selling U.S. model, “will be a close second, and that's not because there will be a drop in Camry sales,” he said, according to notes from the call confirmed by the automaker.

LOS ANGELES (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp. expects the Prius hybrid and related models bearing the same name to become its top-selling U.S. vehicle line by the end of the decade.

“We will end the decade with Prius being the No. 1 nameplate in the industry,” Bob Carter, Toyota's group vice president for U.S. sales, said in a call with analysts on Monday. The Camry, Toyota's top-selling U.S. model, “will be a close second, and that's not because there will be a drop in Camry sales,” he said, according to notes from the call confirmed by the automaker.

Toyota is already the world's largest maker of gasoline-electric cars.

Along with the current mid-sizes Prius hatchback and a plug-in version due by 2012, Toyota plans to unveil a larger, wagon-type Prius at the Detroit auto show on Jan. 10 and display an additional concept version, Mike Michels, a company spokesman, said without elaborating.

Prius, the world's best-selling alternative powertrain car for a decade, faces competition this year from Nissan Motor Co.'s rechargeable Leaf hatchback and General Motors Co.'s Volt plug-in hybrid sedan, which offers the ability to drive extended distances using little or no gasoline. Deliveries of the Leaf and Volt began last month.

U.S. Prius sales through November fell 2 percent to 125,289 from a year ago, according to the company. By comparison, Camry sales through November were 296,581.

Prius had one of its best months of sales in December in a decade, according to Edmunds.com, an auto-shopping research Web site, which reported on highlights of the call with analysts.